Vol. XXIX No. 2
October 2004
 ~ Sing Happy-go-lucky, my Lady, O! ~

PRINCESS IDA Singthrough

(How to get there - 111 Fairmont Street, Arlington, MA)

On October 17, at 2 pm, we will gather in the home of Marion Leeds Carroll for a sing-through of PRINCESS IDA. This sing will not be pre-cast: just show up! Scores will be available. Accompanist: Tom Dawkins.

Roles:

Soprano...........................		Princess Ida, Lady Psyche
Mezzo.............................		Melissa, Sacharissa
Contralto.........................		Lady Blanche
Tenor..............................		Hilarion, Cyril
Baritone...........................		King Hildebrand, King Gama, Florian
Bass................................		Arac, Guron, Scynthius
Speaking..........................		Chloe, Ada

MAIDEN VOYAGE: This is the first issue composed entirely by Bray Journeyman tsw. We hope the Sudden Transition, if not Simply Elysian, is at least unobjectionable! --tsw

Apologies from mlc!

We are still the NEGASS webmistress, even though We are in the process of handing the editorship of The Trumpet Bray to tsw (Skyler Wrench)

But We are here in many capacities and they clash, m'Lords - or at least, they fill more hours than any day has any right to claim. [Why We're abdicating]

We have gradually been translating the current Bray to Web format, and uploading it piecemeal. We are still behind on editing for web format and then uploading the many new graphics tsw has provided for the print edition of the Bray.

Please accept Our object grovel! In fact, please accept Our plea for assistance:

Is there any NEGASSer who would like to practice and polish Web skills by working with Us - mlc and tsw - to continue Our past practice of providing a Web version of The Trumpet Bray?

PICNIC MEETING: With Unusual Revelry

On Sunday, Aug 29, Dr. and Mrs. David Sheldon generously opened their home to the NEGASS picnic for the fourth (gasp!) year!

We began at 4 p.m. with a complete sing-through of PIRATES (on book, of course), accompanied by Juliet Cunningham, followed by feasting and general merriment.

During the feasting, many of us watched a videotape of COX AND BOX--part of the BBC/PBS Complete G&S series, but lamentably not included in the DVD reissue.

Tentative Meeting Schedule, 2004 - 2005

IN POINT OF FACT, HE’S GONE ABROAD: Though we traveled to Penzance only in imagination, long-time NEGASSERs John Bennett and Donna Anton are going there in actuality—to stay!

He writes:
I am leaving Massachusetts, with my wife Donna Anton, on September 8th to go into 'semi-retirement.' I forget how many years I have been a member of NEGASS but it is certainly more than 10. Over the years I have performed in SLOC and Sudbury Savoyard productions, the most recent being SLOC’s "A Gilbert and Sullivan Fantasy," and I will miss all of the friends I have made in the G&S community. Donna has been involved too with some accompaniment and some amusing words for ‘little list’ songs. Could you find a line in The Trumpet Bray to let folks know of our departure? We are heading for our home in Hayle, Cornwall, England and we can be reached at jb@john-bennett.com. We would love to see anyone who ventures to that remote, but beautiful, part of Britain. We will be, after all, only 9 miles from Penzance!

-- JOHN BENNETT

CAPE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT David Stone writes:
“Those who remember the D'Oyly Carte of the 1970s may be interested to know that Royston Nash has been conductor of Cape Symphony Orchestra for 25 (gasp) years.”

That Cape Symphony Orchestra is in Hyannis, MA, and they are doing a concert with several well-known G&S singers the weekend after this Bray is published, so put on your calendars now! Details in Calendar section.

-- tsw

IT IS WITH GREAT SORROW that we hear of the passing of consummate Savoyard Kenneth Sandford. He died at home on September 19th, at the age of eighty. Sam Silvers writes: I was fortunate to be able to perform with Ken Sandford in 1985, and he went out of his way to help me in 1996 when I performed Private Willis in a "festival production" at the Philadelphia leg of the [International G&S] Festival. He was indeed a very kind and generous performer as well as a kind and generous man. He loved the theatre and the audience loved him. I think everyone who ever saw or heard him perform will miss him. -- SAM SILVERS

Another tribute to Ken from Tony Watts:
What can I possibly say? As is known on this list [SavoyNet] my admiration for Ken Sandford as both singer and actor knows no bounds. I consider him one of the finest, most subtle comic actors I have ever seen on the operatic stage.

He was an absolute master of Gilbertian dialogue, and his timing was unsurpassed. Nobody ever used the dramatic pause better than Ken. Starting in an era in which the D'Oyly Carte stagings were a good deal more hidebound than they were later to become, he, nevertheless, managed to create a real character in every role he played. As already observed, his reactions when another artist was singing were evidence of not only his consideration for his fellow artists, but also how immersed he was in the part his was playing.

Each of his creations even moved differently on stage - from the lumpen heavy tread of his Shadbolt to the grace and elegance of his Don Alhambra (with his wickedly roving eye) and the pompous waddle of Pooh-Bah, every one was a real person. He was a singer of tremendous innate musicality who performed his two solo arias in SORCERER as though they were long-breathed pieces of bel canto by Bellini rather than a type of Victorian drawing room ballad. His 'Time Was When Love And I Were Well Acquainted' was probably the finest piece of singing I heard in twenty years of attending performances by the old D'Oyly Carte. His Dr. Daly was wonderful, but if I had to choose one role by which to remember this great artist I would select his superlative Sir Despard which demonstrated the range of his acting: from the hilarious melodramatics of the first act, to his tender, tolerant concern for Mad Margaret in the second.

… Mere words could not possibly thank him for the immense amount of pleasure his wonderful singing and acting gave me over the years. I would like to send my condolences to his wife, family and all his close friends as however great the loss fans like myself are feeling, theirs is far greater.

Goodbye Ken. I will miss you enormously.

--TONY WATTS

NEGASS COMPANY PROMOTER SEEKS APPRENTICE: Linda Silverstein inquires whether anyone is interested in doing publicity for upcoming NEGASS meetings. This usually involves sending press releases via email to several newspapers. The job also involves placing and coordinating payment for NEGASS ads printed in programs. Linda can provide guidance, if necessary. Contact her at: (781) 828-6361 or linda@negass.org.

PAN-ATLANTIC G&S An exhibition "Gilbert and Sullivan: From London to America" featuring items from the collection of Dr. Harold Kanthor, will be on exhibit at the University of Rochester Library (Rochester, NY) from October 2, 2004 - March 15, 2005. It will focus on the original London productions and their transfer to New York and other American cities. For further information see the University of Rochester web site.

-- J. DONALD SMITH

HIS ADDRESS? KNIGHTSBRIDGE! A great many addresses in our “Between-Bray News” email list have become defunct. If you signed up for this list, but have not received a Between-Bray email in the last month, please re-sign with a working address at Our Email list page. Do likewise if you wish to join this list (for short-notice audition notices and other important local G&S events).

-- tsw

Looking for the reviews in this and past issues? Visit our review page.

IN-PROGRESS PDF BRAY ARCHIVE We've been posting PDF versions of recent Brays on the web. What does this mean? It means that if you have a (free and easily accessible) copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can print out a copy of the issue you want, looking pretty much the same as the copy you received in the mail - in case you lost your old copy, or want to give a copy to someone else. Ultimately, We hope to create a more nearly complete archive of old Brays in PDF format.

NEW! INDEX TO RECENT ON-LINE BRAYS There are no links yet to the out-of-date calendar pages - but the articles are now available. Enjoy! - mlc

Note: Very old issues of The Trumpet Bray are still available in The G & S Archives.

ABOUT CONTRIBUTING TO THE TRUMPET BRAY:

All contributions are welcome, of course - but, strictly speaking, only activities and articles relating to G&S ought to be published. (...although an occasional Yes We Know It's Not slips by when the subject relates to a promising activity presented by long-standing and active member of NEGASS.)

1. E-mail is the best way to send things! - editor@negass.org will get to Us. So will owlsnest99@yahoo.com - the Bray Apprentice's address. (So will nearly anything else @negass.org, eventually...)

2. The US Postal Service (aka "snail mail") is fine, too - send letters, preferably typed, or hand-written very clearly so that We can read and correctly reproduce names, dates, etc. - to NEGASS, PO Box 367, Arlington, MA 02476-0004.

3. The Telephone is a very last choice. We do have an answering machine, but spellings of names and specifics of dates are awfully hard to be sure of when delivered by Word of Mouth (Oricular or otherwise), and We rarely have time to phone people back to check details. Besides - Now there are two numbers to keep track of: mlc's or tsw's (see the Board page for details.) Please use the phone only if you have no other choice!

-- mlc

Visit http://leedscarroll.com/GSEnsembles.html for a list of G&S ensembles suitable for excerpt programs.

Visit http://negass.org/Pages/Ads.html for a NEGASS business card image suitable for using as a program ad, or leaving someplace strategic where interested folks might find it.